Speaker of the Montenegran parliament, Andrija Mandic. Photo: EPA-EFE/CATI CLADERA.
Opposition parties in Montenegro have called for the resignation of the speaker of parliament, Andrija Mandic, after his nephew and bodyguard, Danilo Mandic, was arrested on suspicion of shooting and injuring two people in Podgorica on April 19.
The former ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, called for Mandic to quit immediately, saying it was “scandalous” that Danilo Mandic “shot at two citizens and drove an official vehicle of the Assembly without authorisation and so endangered people’s lives, as well as the integrity of the institution itself”.
The DPS also called on the authorities to “urgently investigate” what it alleged was abuse of office by Andrija Mandic, stating that “there is no acceptable explanation why an official vehicle of the Assembly was in the hands of a private person”.
Police have charged Danilo Mandic with aggravated attempted murder. But his lawyer, Miroje Jovanovic, insisted that, “from the evidence collected so far … it can be unequivocally established that he did not participate in the commission of any criminal offence”.
Jovanovic added that it was also “not fair to associate a politically exposed person [Andrija Mandic] with an event he did not attend”.
Police said that on April 19, at around 3.40 am, they received a phone call reporting a conflict between several people in the centre of Podgorica, one of whom reportedly used a firearm.
Police said that Danilo Mandic was then arrested on suspicion of “aggravated murder in an attempt to harm two persons and illegal possession and the carrying of weapons and explosive substances”.
He is suspected of intercepting the victims’ car before the shooting at them from a Land Rover used by parliament.
“After the victims got out of their vehicle, D.M. [Danilo Mandic] fired several shots at them, from which the victims suffered injuries in the leg area, after which he moved away from the scene,” the police said.
There has been some confusion over the incident, which has raised concerns among politicians.
The Basic State Prosecutor’s Office announced that “an investigation could not be carried out because the police officers at that time [of the incident] did not have detailed information about the location, nor did they point out to the state prosecutor any possible [forensic] traces or other material evidence found at the location”.
The Higher State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica told Vijesti newspaper on Thursday that it was only informed about the shooting incident four hours afterwards.
Montenegro’s President, Jakov Milatovic, has called for a clear explanation of what happened, saying that “the conflicting information we’ve heard… about this case affects public trust.
“I am using this opportunity to call on the relevant authorities to give clear answers to the questions that exist in this case,” he said.
Andrija Mandic, who leads the ruling pro-Serbian and pro-Russian For the Future of Montenegro coalition, has not commented so far on the incident.